As It Comes….I Will Remain … Schanntel

For two years, I was away from home—pushing myself into spaces with people who would never care for or respect me. I placed myself, my husband, and my children in a town that didn’t fit our world, our peace, or our growth. I didn’t want to go outside.

I couldn’t see myself there except in my final resting place. All I saw was depression, loss, and my first jail mugshot. I saw people comfortable with nothing, content with the bare minimum, and I couldn’t fathom living like that. Slowly, I began to hate where I was—hating the people, the town, the sky—and feeling happiest only when it rained.

So, we came back home. Not without hardships, not without obstacles, and certainly not without trials and tribulations. We faced plenty, but giving up was never an option, never a thought.

That town taught me patience, gratitude, and the truth that nothing is truly ours—only borrowed for a time. I learned this is my last go-round, so I must make the best of it. I had to be still. I had to obey. And by leaving the familiarity of home, I finally saw what I had refused to see before—blinding myself to truth because it fit the story I wanted to believe.

Now I’m not there, and I love differently. I see differently.
It was never my place, never my timing, never truly me—
But it was the blessing God laid upon me